‘INSULTING’ JOKE:
Australia’s prime minister rejected the opposition’s calls for him to apologize for his ‘disrespectful behavior’ toward the Japanese leader
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday sidestepped calls to apologize after a clip emerged of him engaging in crude banter about a gift from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.Albanese had already faced a backlash and apologized over comments made during an interview last month with the Bush Deep podcast in which he said he would “shag” singer Kylie Minogue.However, separate comments during that interview in which he joked about a gift from Takaichi during her visit to Australia in May drew furor this week from his political opponents.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy as he arrives at the ALP National Conference in Adelaide, Australia, on July 23.
During the conversation with host Nikki Osborne at his official residence, the Australian leader joked that he had received a “strange” present of a Japanese royal melon from Takaichi.In Japan, premium melons are considered luxury items and can cost more than A$270 (US$190), a former Japanese ambassador to Australia said.
